Thursday, 19 May 2022
A Storm in a Teacup ... or a Slippery Slope?
Wednesday, 18 May 2022
Taking to the Water
We are both finding it so hard to get back into the swing of day to day life. A mixture of feeling pretty yuk and not being able to go out much means that all routines are completely out of the window. So what do you do when you just cannot get out of 'holiday mode' ... why you book another holiday of course 😀😄
We have just had ten days in the Spanish sunshine, we have a five day Warner Leisure Hotel holiday booked for September, so what could I choose that is completely different to fill a gap in the middle?
I'm sure you can guess by the photo at the top of this post that I chose a narrow boat holiday, and one that is extremely close to home. There is definite method to my madness as Alan is currently still debating about whether he wants to buy a narrow boat to renovate as a bit of a hobby and it seemed a good idea to 'try before we buy' and combining this with a luxury no-lock, cruising the cut, mini holiday seemed an even better idea.
We had to go for one of the larger of the four boats on offer by the Duck Island Boat Company which is a small company close to home in the local marina, as they are the only ones that you can take your four legged friends onboard with you ... but this should be no hardship at all. With the potential for a bedroom and a bathroom each we can spread out to our hearts content in the 56ft long boat. Of course booking so last minute meant that we had to take the dates that were available, which luckily fell just right for us. It's going to be a total luxury sort of narrowboat holiday, something that we really do need to keep in mind if Alan is buying an old boat to do up. I doubt his will have proper flushing toilets and two en-suites!!
So we have something exciting to look forward to in July ... now what on earth can we do in June?
Sue xx
Oh, and if anyone would like 15% off a White Stuff order I have a link you can use.
https://whitestuff.mention-me.com/m/ol/ke0lh-sue-hall
Monday, 16 May 2022
Back Home with a Tan, a Crash and a Ping
We didn't stray very far from the hotel at all, we just had a couple of short walks and sits on the beach watching the day cool down, and just a few hours one day in Port Alcudia people watching from a pavement café, and watching all the preparations for the Iron Man Competition that was taking place on the Saturday. We actually got to see the runners going past our hotel in the 27 degree heat on the day of the competition ... madness!!
We both topped up our tans, Alan more so than me as he is a real sun worshipper and he also had a few dips in the hotel pool, although judging by his gasps the water was cool enough to put a lot of folk off going in at all. But over the course of the week as the temperatures rose more and more people started risking a dip and swimming a few lengths.
Friday, 13 May 2022
The Green ... I Love the Green
Torn between two worlds!!
I love this photo of my kitchen when it had almost been completed, the empty spaces, the clean lines, the promise of what could be.
Thursday, 12 May 2022
Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Discard All the Rest
Tuesday, 10 May 2022
Monday, 9 May 2022
Sunday, 8 May 2022
Saturday, 7 May 2022
Friday, 6 May 2022
By the Window
I love to pore over a painting or image with lots of detail.
I can't find out who painted this one and in the course of looking came across this one by Salvador Dali -
... which draws you in in a completely different way and is very thought provoking.
Aren't we lucky in this age of computers that we can pull up such lovely images to get us thinking.
❤
Thursday, 5 May 2022
Wednesday, 4 May 2022
Tuesday, 3 May 2022
The Best Weight ...
Sunday, 1 May 2022
AWOL and then AWOL all over again.
Sorry I've been AWOL for far too long 😦
There were lots of reasons but nothing for you to worry about. The thing is I'm about to go missing again for 10 days, jetting off to warmer climes and leaving our homes and the furries in the capable hands of some very good house-sitters. They come with their own little furry friend called Oscar so Suky and Mavis will have a little boy Lhasa Apso to fall in love with. Although Ginger was not so enamoured on his first meeting with a dog that is not used to cats, and one that thinks that the way to get a cat to play with you is to wag your tail like crazy and bark at them. No doubt and hopefully, a compromise or truce will be called at the next meeting later on today.
The photo above was taken on an afternoon out to Morecambe last week, just look at that perfect sky! I used no filters, that's just as it was and snapped quickly with my phone while Alan and the dogs walked along the beach and I followed along higher up on the prom.
Morecambe is just a thirty minute drive from us and it is always much quieter and nicer than Blackpool. It used to look so rundown but slowly and surely it is turning itself around and people are starting to really enjoy it again. I think this is partly due to the fact that the Eden Project North has now been given the go-ahead and savvy businesses are getting in on the act before rents for shop and business premises go through the roof after it's arrival. It should be brilliant for tourism and the people of Morecambe ... and of course us. 😀
We enjoyed the walk, the fresh air and then a coffee and flapjack in a bustling little café before heading for home and a snooze over snooker for Alan and some reading for me.
I will be back soon I promise, just as soon as I get my shit head together and hopefully have enjoyed my break. I'll leave you with some memes while I'm away just to entertain ... or annoy ... you.
Sue xx 😎
Thursday, 21 April 2022
Large Jugs ... and Clever Posties
I knew that I loved the large brown jug the minute I saw it on the shelf in the gift shop, of course it was a very necessary purchase as my huge bunch of flowers had nowhere to live. As I was sat watching television last night my eye was drawn to my little painting above the radiator shelf and then I realised why this particular brown jug had caught my eye and my imagination.
The painting of The Milkmaid by Vermeer has the girl pouring from a very similar jug. So it seemed only right as I took my cards down this morning and had a bit of a dust-athon that I put the jug and it's contents into a new position and the flowers that Alan bought me onto the sideboard where they co-ordinated perfectly with the pictures behind.
Wednesday, 20 April 2022
The Best Birthday
After we had eaten all we could and packed up what we couldn't, we went around the gift shop part of The Barn and Alan bought me this lovely large jug. It was needed to hold the huge bunch of flowers bought for me by Simon and Emma.
Later I had some of my leftover afternoon tea for supper while watching Pretty Woman on the television.
And I have saved these two half-price Easter eggs picked up from Sainsbugs on the way home for another day. You just knew I wouldn't go without a chocolate egg at Easter now didn't you. 😉
Thank you for all the lovely birthday wishes yesterday, you helped to make it The Best Birthday.
Sue xx
Tuesday, 19 April 2022
A Special Day ... and a Secret Spills Out
The day started well, Alan had ordered sunshine and warmth and it was lovely to sit on the patio with him and the furries opening my cards and enjoying my flowers and the first coffee of the day.
Monday, 18 April 2022
No Chocolate Eggs, Just Leeks and Potatoes
Sautéed slowly to develop flavour, I left the potatoes and leek to their own devices while I read some more of the cook book.
The recipe is from this book by Miguel Barclay. I have all seven of his books and although some of the books are quite similar I do like to browse through them for simple and affordable meal ideas pretty regularly.
Sue xx
Thursday, 14 April 2022
Of Gingerbread Houses and Books
Talking of messages, I also got one reminding me that I had not put a close up of the latest sideboard colour co-ordinated book stack for Sue ... seemingly then it's not just Sue who likes to have a peruse!!
Your wish is my command, here they are in full glorious close up.
Sue xx